Justice for all

April 20, 2013

Do we live under a system of laws or one of convenience and expedience? As we climb the legal food chain, are we allowed to pick and choose which agreements and treaties we wish to adhere to? It would appear so.

Case in point is the Keystone XL pipeline. After reviewing the proposed site map, it would appear that the pipeline would run through the western portion of the Rosebud Sioux Nation in South Dakota. In 2007, the Lakota Nation withdrew from all previously signed treaties with the United States government, declaring themselves a sovereign nation. A "Declaration of Continuing Independence" was also filed in June of 1974 due to violations of treaties committed by the U.S. government entered into by the Lakota Nation and the United States government.

Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution allows Congress to regulate commerce with foreign nations, but no evidence has been shown of negotiations between Congress and the Sioux Nation. Having said this, if the proposed site of the Keystone XL pipeline runs through the Rosebud, it is in clear violation of the sovereignty of another nation and therefore is illegal and should not be built, according to the proposed plans and permits. If the question of sovereignty is in order, then this is a matter for the Supreme Court, which coincidentally has blocked the issue from being presented countless times.

It seems that the proponents of the pipeline and factions of the U.S. government have been trapped in their own web of deceit. As for now, the matter of granting permits for the pipeline must be tabled until all sides are heard, the matter of sovereignty settled and treaties upheld to the satisfaction of the Lakota Sioux Nation. Any help and clarification in this investigation would be greatly appreciated.